Gillespie hails Yorkshire role as county unveil ex-Australia ace as first-team coach

Jason Gillespie admitted he has a 'fantastic opportunity' after Yorkshire unveiled the former Australia fast bowler as
their new first-team coach.

Gillespie was identified as the man to spearhead a new coaching structure after a
shake-up which has seen Yorkshire stalwarts Craig White and Steve
Oldham depart.

Martyn
Moxon remains as director of cricket but it is Gillespie, who had
two spells as an overseas player at Headingley, who will be in charge of
the first team with captain Andrew Gale.

Dizzy heights: Yorkshire want Gillespie
to bring back the glory days following
relegation

It was also reveled that opening batsman Phil Jaques, again a former Australia international, would rejoin the county as overseas player for
the next two seasons.

Gillespie says he is excited by the challenge: 'I saw the job advertised and thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to further my coaching career at Yorkshire where I had a couple of great seasons as a player.

'To be able to go back there in a coaching capacity is a fantastic opportunity. It’s the right time in my coaching career after being fortunate enough to have had two seasons with the Mid West Rhinos in Zimbabwe.

'Now the opportunity has come up to be involved in county cricket there’s no better place than Yorkshire. I’m really looking forward to settling in Leeds and getting stuck in.

'I’ve made this choice to go down the coaching path, which I really enjoy, and when opportunities like being a first-team coach at Yorkshire you don’t turn them down.'

Nemesis: Gillespie regularly tormented England with the Baggy Greens

The move follows the latest period of
disharmony at English cricket's most volatile county, in which chairman
Colin Graves condemned the players at the end of a season when
Yorkshire, one of the favourites for the Division One title, crashed to
relegation.

Gillespie added: 'Yorkshire underachieved last year and I’m sure everyone is disappointed, but what that does now is create an opportunity for this group of players to show how good they are.

'There’s a lot of young guys coming through alongside a few experienced players and it’s about going out there and doing the basics very well, with a bit of enjoyment and play some positive cricket.

'I’ll be really pushing for result cricket and I’m willing to risk a loss in order to win games. I believe that this Yorkshire squad is capable of winning a lot of cricket matches.'

World beaters: Gillespie was part of the team that dominated cricket

Moxon said: 'I received good reports from Australia about Jason's coaching career so far. He has a vast playing experience, played in one of the best teams there has ever been and he's talking from a position of strength as far as the bowling coaching goes. I'm delighted he's joining us and he's got experience of the club.

'I'm sure he's going to do a fantastic job.'

White was
unable to continue in his role because Yorkshire are now demanding their
coach holds the elite level-four qualification, but his departure is
said to be amicable. He
is hoping to move into umpiring.

The departure of Oldham, the county's
bowling coach for 20 years, is more rancorous but there was no place for
him in a set-up led by Gillespie as coaching the attack is his forte.

The boy is bat in town: Gillespie scoring runs for Yorkshire back in 2006

The
South Australian, who becomes Yorkshire's second overseas coach
following his fellow Australian Wayne Clark, played in 71 Tests and was a
key member of Steve Waugh's world-beating side.

Gillespie, 36, has emerged as one of
the leading young coaches having impressed leading Australia A as well
as working with Kings XI Punjab in the IPL and in Zimbabwean cricket.

The
words of Graves at the end of the season - he called the squad a
'disgrace' and their performances 'unacceptable' - were said to have
upset impressive young captain Gale, but the finger of blame is being
pointed at the coaching staff.

Gillespie is being brought in to try and emulate his countryman Clark, who coached Yorkshire to the title in 2001.